GOING OUT

Tim Badham is the nightlife columnist for City A.M., reporting on the best new bars and clubs to enjoy an elegant cocktail or glass of bubbles in London. Following a successful stint at Merrill Lynch, Tim spent a few years investigating the party scene both here and abroad before founding the London-based lifestyle concierge service Innerplace.

Tim Badham

ASIDE from Bunga Bunga (see below), the main action is in the City. The Door Oyster Bar and Grill opened this Monday across from the Royal Exchange on Cornhill, and their beautiful bar may become the best place to unwind after work with a fine drink and a plate of bivalves. Design features include a reclaimed copper bell covered in verdigris, dark mosaic tiling, a gleaming pressed tin ceiling and plenty of marble and mahogany throughout which bestow the bar with the gentility you’d expect for the locale. There’s an extensive champagne list and great cocktails.

Heading back further west, Holborn House has opened on High Holborn and aims to cater to all of a slick young professional’s cravings. It’s set over two floors and they hope to offer the opulence and grandeur of a members club without the associated fees. They’ve already been throwing club nights on the weekends with champagne popping and DJs spinning tracks until the early morning. The cocktail bar remains open throughout the week and the brasserie will follow next week. After a summer slow period, the scene hots up in September. Autumn horizon. Members’ club Dorsia, which borrows its name from American Psycho’s ever-elusive restaurant, is due to make quite a splash, while Cirque de Soir is relocating to a sexier locale and Mayfair marvel The Arts Club is undergoing a major overhaul. Also noteworthy is the Bar 45 on Park Lane which will accompany Wolgang Puck’s first restaurant on this side of the pond. Tim Badham is the founder of Innerplace, London’s leading providers of VIP entertainment, including film premieres, fashion shows, launch parties and members club access. www.innerplace.co.uk